In the 11-year period of 2005 through 2015, canines killed 360 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 64% (232) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Keeps Attacking After Being Stabbed
Aurora, CO - On July 13th, 2007, Dorothy Rugg, 63, sat in a hospital bed recovering from injuries she received after she and her 20-year-old granddaughter were attacked by a pit bull. Rugg underwent surgery on her arms and legs and got over 100 stitches. Her granddaughter, Bobbi Mitchell, was treated for her injuries and released.

The attack took place in a neighborhood near East Quincy Avenue and South Parker Road. News teams reported that the two were visiting a relative, who was babysitting three young children, when they were confronted by a pit bull in the entryway of a house. The dog attacked Mitchell first, and when Rugg tried to intervene, it turned on her.

Mitchell stabbed the dog several times with a kitchen knife but was unable to stop the attack. Then she called 911. Police responded within minutes and shot the dog through the security glass of the front door. But the animal continued to act aggressively, so officers dragged it outside and shot it again, this time killing it.

Aurora Police spokesman Bob Friel said, "We're very fortunate somebody wasn't killed." Tim Matya, 52, who lives next door, said he called 911 when he heard the commotion. He said he was working outside, when he heard loud screams. "I thought it was something domestic," he said. Shortly after he hung up the phone, he heard sirens, then the sounds of gunshots.

Pit bulls are banned in Aurora, and the dog wasn't registered to the address. Pit bulls living in Aurora before 2006, when the city enacted the pit bull ban, are allowed to remain if they are registered with the city. They also must be spayed or neutered, and when at home, they must be kept in pens.